Those MR/Corgi ones were unimpressive except for Janice and maybe Zoot. These rough Palisades ones are so much better than the cartoon look of the canceled Corgis. Ugh. There Animal was just terrible. Corgi's pricy, kitschy-looking statues just didn't suit my taste. I was expecting something either finer-looking or less expensive. These just didn't make sense to me. Still, these Palisades ones still has a little way to go before final approval. What could have been. These were the PVCs that many people wanted.

Those MR/Corgi ones were unimpressive except for Janice and maybe Zoot. These rough Palisades ones are so much better than the cartoon look of the canceled Corgis. Ugh. There Animal was just terrible. Corgi's pricy, kitschy-looking statues just didn't suit my taste. I was expecting something either finer-looking or less expensive. These just didn't make sense to me. Still, these Palisades ones still has a little way to go before final approval. What could have been. These were the PVCs that many people wanted.

Click to expand...

Yeah I was hoping they would have done at least an online exclusive for these like they did with wave 4 of the muppet mini figures.

The Corgi ones were polystone, is that like some sort of hard resin?

I wonder if the seller realizes noone is going to buy any of these at those prices?

The Gobo and Sal the monkey(which coulda gone for even more)
sold at a higher price given the demand for those
(I feel sorry for people who really wanted the Sesame figures)

Yeah I was hoping they would have done at least an online exclusive for these like they did with wave 4 of the muppet mini figures.

The Corgi ones were polystone, is that like some sort of hard resin?

I wonder if the seller realizes noone is going to buy any of these at those prices?

The Gobo and Sal the monkey(which coulda gone for even more)
sold at a higher price given the demand for those
(I feel sorry for people who really wanted the Sesame figures)

Click to expand...

These are being sold from Ken at Palisades' Ebay store. Some of his auctions start off a bit pricy but his stuff eventually does sell. Not to me, unfortunately. I haven't got the cash to spare.

Corgi's polystone Mayhem set was to be the same sort of material as the beautiful Sideshow busts but without any of the texture, detail or attention to likeness. There was a market for this sort of thing, I just think they missed the mark on what it is exactly. Smooth cartoon representations are okay with me, but there will be comparisons with even their own high-end Muppet product that those Mayhem figures couldn't live up to (especially with a likely premium price point). If Palisades' line and the Sideshow busts had never existed there would have been a market for the MR figurines as they were. Animal kind of sets the tone for the line, but his facial sculpt wouldn't have passed Happy Meal quality and he looked cotton-candy fluffy rather than the wild hair ball he really is.

Anyway, I still wish MR would do some figural representations of the Muppets if they'd step up their game.

These are being sold from Ken at Palisades' Ebay store. Some of his auctions start off a bit pricy but his stuff eventually does sell. Not to me, unfortunately. I haven't got the cash to spare.

Corgi's polystone Mayhem set was to be the same sort of material as the beautiful Sideshow busts but without any of the texture, detail or attention to likeness. There was a market for this sort of thing, I just think they missed the mark on what it is exactly. Smooth cartoon representations are okay with me, but there will be comparisons with even their own high-end Muppet product that those Mayhem figures couldn't live up to (especially with a likely premium price point). If Palisades' line and the Sideshow busts had never existed there would have been a market for the MR figurines as they were. Animal kind of sets the tone for the line, but his facial sculpt wouldn't have passed Happy Meal quality and he looked cotton-candy fluffy rather than the wild hair ball he really is.

Anyway, I still wish MR would do some figural representations of the Muppets if they'd step up their game.

Click to expand...

I've always preferred cartoony-like representations, as much as I admire the post Mcfarlane benchmark level of detail Palisades brought to the game.

But yeah, as much as we can complain Gobo, Sal, and the Sesame Street figures never saw the light of day...it is pretty amazing how for 3 years Palisades went above and beyond to deliver an insane amount of figures, playsets, mini playsets, accessories, pack-in characters, ect many of us never thought would get made. People I remember went out of their way too complain at every step, but they also went out of their way to help. And for the first time, a toy company actually worked with fans and listened on a toyline.

I'm just curious, who will be the next company to release Muppet figures? Or will Disney just do them in house?

I've always preferred cartoony-like representations, as much as I admire the post Mcfarlane benchmark level of detail Palisades brought to the game.

But yeah, as much as we can complain Gobo, Sal, and the Sesame Street figures never saw the light of day...it is pretty amazing how for 3 years Palisades went above and beyond to deliver an insane amount of figures, playsets, mini playsets, accessories, pack-in characters, ect many of us never thought would get made. People I remember went out of their way too complain at every step, but they also went out of their way to help. And for the first time, a toy company actually worked with fans and listened on a toyline.

I'm just curious, who will be the next company to release Muppet figures? Or will Disney just do them in house?

Click to expand...

Neca handled the Disney and Burton property of Nightmare Before Christmas figures and I think that should work well for Muppets too. They already handle Henson stuff. It's still far too soon for another Muppet figure series of any substance.

The cartoon look is fine with me if done well. Janice was a beautiful example by MR. Zoot was okay. The rest were just stiff and half-hearted efforts. One doesn't need to go so far to one end or the other on the spectrum. I still say that MR's Animal, Floyd and Teeth were greatly inferior to those Palisades mini prototypes by any standard.

Cartoony or not - likeness is key for me. It might not be for everyone (and that I just don't understand) but most people want a good representation of their beloved icons. Still, it doesn't need 50 points of articulation, airbrushing and fine texturing to get to a quality approximation.

I think that the future of Muppet toys will likely go the Happy Meal rout as far as look is concerned – marginal at best. Disney hasn’t been concerned about quality in that area before and don’t think they’ll change that tune. Still, they have been making some great decisions lately. I’m just lucky to have the figures in my collection.

I think that the future of Muppet toys will likely go the Happy Meal rout as far as look is concerned – marginal at best. Disney hasn’t been concerned about quality in that area before and don’t think they’ll change that tune. Still, they have been making some great decisions lately. I’m just lucky to have the figures in my collection.

Click to expand...

I've been waiting years for such a thing.

When it comes to what scale/look of Muppet figures has always excited me the most:

Since the early 1980's I've dreamed of a Muppet line Wars in that scale/style, where like the Star Wars line we'd get a ton of characters...but more than just one wave.

Hey, a boy can dream

Click to expand...

I'm actually in the toy shop now. I'm looking at a wall of them and I have to be honest - I've always thought many of the classic Star Wars figures sculpt jobs bit. However I do like the scale amd type of figures they are.

The Palisades minis were a little too textured, limited and pricey than they should have been. It is my feeling that such size sculpts with limited articulation at an SRP of $8.99 could do quite well.

Integrity of likeness is important to me, but that doesn't require all the texture and puppet-perfect likeness. Cartoon representations are fine with me as long as it's an attractive interpretation. Most cartoon-looking versions are made so due to laziness rather than style choice. Going through licensing stock art you kind of pick up why choices were made, what companies are quality and what companies are hacks.

In the action figure world right now the best sculptures are from McFarlane, NECA and Mezco. Those are the ones I'd want handling the Muppets. The worst are really the standard Hasbro and Mattel companies that are testaments to the idea that mediocrity sells.

Hmm... What about the Four Horsemen? Don't trust MacFarlin, they'd end up as killer accurate sculpts, but with extremely limited to no functional articulation. Though I love my Muppets figure collection at the scale they were made and my counting characters—which features some monster Muppets like the Count and Fughetta Faffner, and others based on my Muppet figures like the Banshee (Janice) and the Headless Horseman (Ernie)—will be, once drawn, hopefully made into PVC's just a bit taller than the Palisades Minis; I have come around to at least appreciating Beaker's viewpoint of a multi-teared multicharacter Star Wars like Muppet Universe line of smaller PVC's. It would have given us the main Muppets, but also stuff that Palisades mentioned might not have done well or even schemed to possibly release if the line had continued. A TMS Season 1 group with Mildred, George the Janitor, Hilda, Nigel, Boppity, and Gloat. An MTI group with Captain Smollet and Bad Polly, Benjamina, Squire Trelawney, Mr. Samuel Arrow, Clueless Morgan, and Cabin Boys Gonzo and Rizzo. An MT group of Spamela, Johnny, Sal, Pepe and Seymour, Bobo, and Bill the Bubble Guy. Stuff like that would've been extra awesome.

I'm actually in the toy shop now. I'm looking at a wall of them and I have to be honest - I've always thought many of the classic Star Wars figures sculpt jobs bit. However I do like the scale amd type of figures they are.

The Palisades minis were a little too textured, limited and pricey than they should have been. It is my feeling that such size sculpts with limited articulation at an SRP of $8.99 could do quite well.

Integrity of likeness is important to me, but that doesn't require all the texture and puppet-perfect likeness. Cartoon representations are fine with me as long as it's an attractive interpretation. Most cartoon-looking versions are made so due to laziness rather than style choice. Going through licensing stock art you kind of pick up why choices were made, what companies are quality and what companies are hacks.

In the action figure world right now the best sculptures are from McFarlane, NECA and Mezco. Those are the ones I'd want handling the Muppets. The worst are really the standard Hasbro and Mattel companies that are testaments to the idea that mediocrity sells.

Click to expand...

It's funny, because I *love* the standard Hasbro, Toy Biz, ect.
styles. I don't need detailed to almost grotesque proportion 8"
heavy figures I don't even have room for. When the Mcfarlane Standard changed the entire collector and figure market in 1997, it was good...but I also am glad for the Playmates, Hasbro and Toy Biz' out there for making stylish affordable kids figures the way they oughta be made. I guess I never grew up, but I love my not so detailed 3 3/4-4" figures, ******

I have come around to at least appreciating Beaker's viewpoint of a multi-teared multicharacter Star Wars like Muppet Universe line of smaller PVC's. It would have given us the main Muppets, but also stuff that Palisades mentioned might not have done well or even schemed to possibly release if the line had continued. A TMS Season 1 group with Mildred, George the Janitor, Hilda, Nigel, Boppity, and Gloat. An MTI group with Captain Smollet and Bad Polly, Benjamina, Squire Trelawney, Mr. Samuel Arrow, Clueless Morgan, and Cabin Boys Gonzo and Rizzo. An MT group of Spamela, Johnny, Sal, Pepe and Seymour, Bobo, and Bill the Bubble Guy. Stuff like that would've been extra awesome.

Click to expand...

Yes! Multi-teared and multicharactered. Good description. I remember seeing the original Fisher Price Muppet action figures in stores in the early 80's, and imagined wave after wave. Even at 3, 4 and 5 years old, I was a pretty rabid Muppet/Sesame collector. Going with my mom to thrift stores, garage sales, stores looking for anything Jim Henson related.

It's funny, because I *love* the standard Hasbro, Toy Biz, ect.
styles. I don't need detailed to almost grotesque proportion 8"
heavy figures I don't even have room for. When the Mcfarlane Standard changed the entire collector and figure market in 1997, it was good...but I also am glad for the Playmates, Hasbro and Toy Biz' out there for making stylish affordable kids figures the way they oughta be made. I guess I never grew up, but I love my not so detailed 3 3/4-4" figures, ******

Click to expand...

It appears that you favor the nostagia aspect over actual quality and I understand that. I just can't support that personally.

Again...it's not about the scale, lack of texture or limited articulation. It's the likenesses that really bite on those. There's very little artistry that actually goes into their products and that bothers me as an artist. Hasbro and Mattel are like McDonalds when my palette desires something finer with a bit more thought involved.

I’d be fine with Muppet toys of the same size and scale of the Star Wars classic line but the likeness couldn’t be the same watered down quality for my dollar. Honestly, if those toys didn’t bear the SW label they’d have to step up their game to sell them for another property. Just because the box informs the customer the figure is a representation of a particular character doesn't make it so. I actually expect a good resemblance, not just a passable one.

I work several days a week in a shop that sells the Star Wars toys and even their most avid fans have to read the labels for some of the characters to decipher who they are. That’s ridiculous and as a fan it's just not good enough for me or the Muppets. They deserve quality sculpts not cynical kiddie fodder. It's not that Hasbro can't make the character likenesses better in their same style, it's that they just don't care because Star Wars fans will buy them anyway. Muppet fans are more particular.

Off topic, but I don't think Hasbro isn't so much about sculpts as good business sense. They were a company who in 2002 or so was on the verge of crashing, and about to lay off hundreds of workers, but they were able to pull themselves out of the dirt with the Star Wars episode 3 line. And since then, things have been getting better and better, what with the newfound interest in Transformers and their acquisition of the Marvel comics license. Plus, we mustn't forget that companies like MacFarline, Mezco, etc don't make toys for children, but rather collectors that want bigger and better sculpts. Though, MacFarline toys really lost me as soon as they started making large, fragile plastic statuette scenes and calling them action figures. So, for affordable, decent quality kid's toys, Hasbro is the company.

Mattel still struggles with its lack of quality and over inflated prices... add to it the lead paint scare that really affected them negatively, and the fact they're still reeling from the Bratz toys stealing Barbie's thunder (even though they finally got a court order to have them taken off shelves... too little, too late) they're not quite where they need to be. Their acquisition of the DC license may just pull their butts out of the fire.

It appears that you favor the nostagia aspect over actual quality and I understand that. I just can't support that personally.

Again...it's not about the scale, lack of texture or limited articulation. It's the likenesses that really bite on those. There's very little artistry that actually goes into their products and that bothers me as an artist. Hasbro and Mattel are like McDonalds when my palette desires something finer with a bit more thought involved.

I’d be fine with Muppet toys of the same size and scale of the Star Wars classic line but the likeness couldn’t be the same watered down quality for my dollar. Honestly, if those toys didn’t bear the SW label they’d have to step up their game to sell them for another property. Just because the box informs the customer the figure is a representation of a particular character doesn't make it so. I actually expect a good resemblance, not just a passable one.

I work several days a week in a shop that sells the Star Wars toys and even their most avid fans have to read the labels for some of the characters to decipher who they are. That’s ridiculous and as a fan it's just not good enough for me or the Muppets. They deserve quality sculpts not cynical kiddie fodder. It's not that Hasbro can't make the character likenesses better in their same style, it's that they just don't care because Star Wars fans will buy them anyway. Muppet fans are more particular.

Click to expand...

What toy store is that in San Francisco? I swear I cant find any non chain toy stores in SF anymore. (shame what happened to the Metreon too)

Off topic, but I don't think Hasbro isn't so much about sculpts as good business sense. They were a company who in 2002 or so was on the verge of crashing, and about to lay off hundreds of workers, but they were able to pull themselves out of the dirt with the Star Wars episode 3 line. And since then, things have been getting better and better, what with the newfound interest in Transformers and their acquisition of the Marvel comics license. Plus, we mustn't forget that companies like MacFarline, Mezco, etc don't make toys for children, but rather collectors that want bigger and better sculpts. Though, MacFarline toys really lost me as soon as they started making large, fragile plastic statuette scenes and calling them action figures. So, for affordable, decent quality kid's toys, Hasbro is the company.

Mattel still struggles with its lack of quality and over inflated prices... add to it the lead paint scare that really affected them negatively, and the fact they're still reeling from the Bratz toys stealing Barbie's thunder (even though they finally got a court order to have them taken off shelves... too little, too late) they're not quite where they need to be. Their acquisition of the DC license may just pull their butts out of the fire.

Click to expand...

I'm noticing a HUGE influence by designer/hong kong urban vinyl/kid robot style figures with mainstream kids toys(like the new Batman animated series figures, or the big muggs like Star Wars and Marvel figures(

What toy store is that in San Francisco? I swear I cant find any non chain toy stores in SF anymore. (shame what happened to the Metreon too)

I'm noticing a HUGE influence by designer/hong kong urban vinyl/kid robot style figures with mainstream kids toys(like the new Batman animated series figures, or the big muggs like Star Wars and Marvel figures).

Click to expand...

I think it was mentioned somewhere around here before that I work several hours a week at Action Figure Freddy across and down the street from the Metreon. The store has been there for three years and does fairly well.

The new "Batman: The Brave and the Bold" action figures are based on the cartoon's style (but I wouldn't be surprised if that style was created in that pseudo-Asian-influenced style to sell toys).

The Mighty Muggs are very popular. They are inspired facsimiles of other Japanese urban vinyl sculptures and have their own inspired facsimiles too. These include Munny, Monskey, Dunnies and even the I.W.G figures.

I really do like all types of toys as long as decisions are made based on quality instead of only cost. I still believe Hasbro and Mattel to be the greatest cynical offenders in that category. I like their style, limited articulation and basic materials but not the cheap quality of their sculpts and paint aps. Figures don't have to be either cheap chotchkies or huge obsessively detailed sculptures. The quality I expect is fairly reasonable.

I really do like all types of toys as long as decisions are made based on quality instead of only cost. I still believe Hasbro and Mattel to be the greatest cynical offenders in that category. I like their style, limited articulation and basic materials but not the cheap quality of their sculpts and paint aps. Figures don't have to be either cheap chotchkies or huge obsessively detailed sculptures. The quality I expect is fairly reasonable.

Click to expand...

Not by a long shot. Modern Playmates is the worst offender, with the ninja turtles line. The reason all the figures out since the movie were based on it was because they were too cheap to do molds for the new show.